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Coach Mac’s Monster Offense: “FLEX SERIES”

Written and published by Forrest McKinnis, 2009.

Copyright, 2009. All Rights Reserved

No duplication of this product is allowed without written consent from Coach Forrest McKinnis and Coach Mac’s Basketball e-

Playbooks.


In 1993 a Willamette University Bearcat program entered the NAIA Division II National Championship under the leadership of seasoned coach Gordie James and won the national title behind the hardened, but often forgot flex offense. Derived from an earlier version of the shuffle cut offense, the flex hit the bas-ketball scene in 1970 and was widely known for its structured pattern allowing for cross screens through the paint and a series of screen-the-screener actions to produce sound looks at the basket.

Today the flex offense is used in many fashions. The University of Maryland's Gary Williams won an NCAA National Championship in 2002 on the back of the flex continuity offense. Many others would soon follow suit; Coach Bo Ryan at Wisconsin University, Mark Few at Gonzaga, and Al Skinner at Boston College have all twisted the flex offense to find success in their respective con-ferences. While many in the college ranks have found success using the flex, it remains a popular staple in high school and junior high programs around the nation. Coach McKinnis of Coach Mac's Basketball e-Playbooks used a monster flex to guide his men's program to a regular season #1 ranking in the state of Oregon class 2A poll in 2004. Furthermore, high school coaches across the country love the flex offense for its characteristics:

• Extremely effective against a man-to-man defense. • Can be used against an odd front zone defense. • All players on the floor are interchangeable in the offense. • Very good offensive strategy for teams with average ability. • Can control tempo of the game. • Excellent baseline scoring option.

The flex offense is a continuity offense, which can be rotated between a 5 or 4 man flexing action. It can also be very compact creating a very physical action for teams who have a great deal of power. In all the flex created in 1970 is the backbone of many successful basketball programs and should be considered by any coach looking for success.

Winning with the Flex


Table of Contents

Chapter 1 —Basic Flex Set pg. 5 Chapter 2 —Corner Flex Series pg. 8 Chapter 3 —Power Flex Series pg. 11 Chapter 4 —Back Screen Flex Series pg. 13 Chapter 5 —13 Flex Series pg. 17 Chapter 6 —Monster Flex pg. 20 Chapter 7 —Flex in Transition pg. 24


BASIC FLEX SERIES

BASIC FLEX SET

The basic flex set is show in this figure. Two guard front with an overload on the strong side and a lone flex man on the weak side.

1. Offense begins with strong

side guard passing across to the weakside. You may need a screening action to get the weakside guard open.

2. Flex cut begins with post stepping out to set screen af-ter pass to weak side is made.


BASIC FLEX SERIES

1. If guard is unable to pass to

the flexing forward, then the offside guard sets up a screen the screener action with the low weakside post.

1. Upon pass to popping for-

ward. The flex action begins again. Bottom man pops to the corner and the offside post screens for the flexing for-ward.


CORNER FLEX SERIES

CORNER ACTION

1. If the defense takes away the simple down screen action and the flex is no open. Move to the corner series or pressure release option.

2. Pass moves across to strong side and corner man moves up to receive pass.

1. After passing to the corner

man, the center moves up and sets a UCLA screen for the ball side guard. Player with the ball should look to hit cut-ter if open.


CORNER FLEX SERIES

1. If the UCLA screen doesn’t

produce a scoring opportu-nity. The screener then will step out to receive the pass from the wing.

2. After the pass is made the weakside forward should step into the key and seal for a possible high/low entry.

1. If no high/low option is avail-

able then a simple down screen on the weakside block is completed to free up the forward for the reversal pass.


POWER FLEX SERIES

POWER SET

Here is a great option for teams with mismatches in the front court. 1. Flex screen is set for offside

guard, who will pop up to the top of the key instead of cut-ting through the pain.

1. Upon entry to the high post.

The weakside forward will step in and seal defender looking to create a high/low entry opportunity.


BACK SCREEN FLEX SERIES

Back Screen Set

Like any other flex set, the back screen series starts with a 2-3 look. Two high guards and three low players.

1. The series begins with the

post player coming up and setting a back screen for the offside guard who cuts through the key using an in-verted flex cut.



1. After setting the screen the

post player then pops up to receive the reversal pass from the guard.

2. The initial cutter then moves out to set a flex series screen on the corner position.

1. Unlike previous series, there

is no down screen from the guard. Instead the screen-the-screener action moves up to set a flare screen.

NOTE: This can also be a set play at the end of a quarter or to win the game.



1. Once the flare screen has

been set then the screener pops up to receive the rever-sal pass and the offense is back to its initial set.


13 FLEX SERIES

13 Series Basic Set

1. Set begins with the point guard passing to either side, in this case it’s the post side. If the pass went opposite of the post then the post would need to fill over to ball side.

1. After passing the point moves

off of a high back screen from the high post and to ball side corner after receiving another screen from the low post.


13 FLEX SERIES

1. After setting the back screen,

the high post steps out to re-ceive the pass and becomes the reversal player, passing the ball to the opposite side wing.

1. The value of this offense hap-

pens in this series. The low post moves out to set a back screen for the opposite for-ward who flexes through the key.


MONSTER FLEX SERIES

Monster Series Set

1. Set begins in a 1-2-2 align-ment with the point guard passing to either wing.

1. On the pass to the wing. The

low post moves out to the cor-ner. This person is now in the monster position. You mon-ster should be the one you are trying to get open.

2. The point moves down and set a screen for the opposite wing. Who flexes through.


MONSTER FLEX SERIES

1. If the flex doesn’t come open,

don’t panic. The opposite side post pops up to begin the reversal pass to the wing.

2. On the reversal, the flex screen is set for the monster position. Timing is critical here and should be practiced.

1. The play is now reset. 2. The monster moves out to the

short corner. The point sets a flex action screen for the op-posite side wing.


MONSTER FLEX SERIES

1. Opposite post moves up and

becomes the reversal man. 2. Flex screen is set for the mon-

ster and pass should be made if it is open for a layup.

1. The play then resets and ac-

tion moves to the other side. This is a fantastic continuity of-fense for teams who have big players who don’t operate well away from the basket.


FLEX in TRANSITION SERIES

There are many who have failed to find a way to incorporate the flex series into their transition game. If you are building a program around the flex series, build the entire program. Here is a fantastic guard-through option which moves into the flex series. 1. After outlet, point gets the ball and dribbles down the floor looking

for early entry to either wing player who have filled ‘high and wide’ or above the free throw line and along the sideline.

2. The lead post moves ball side block. The trail post becomes the reversal.


FLEX in TRANSTION SERIES

1. Here the guard has elected to enter the ball on the strong side of the

break. The lead post has filled his spot on the block and the trail post should be moving into position. Spacing is critical in offense and deadly in the transition break.



1. After passing to the ball side wing. The guard cuts through the key (looking for the give and go action) and to the opposite side block. The trail post moves over for the reversal pass to enter into the flex offense.



1. The offside wing should move down and set a screen for the low post

position, who will pop up and receive a pass. On the pass the flex screen is set and you are in a basic look.

NOTE: This series can be used with any of the flex entries provided in this playbook.


OTHER E-PLAYBOOKS at Coach Mac’s

“Coach Mac’s Continuity Offenses from Oregon

Small School Programs”

5 OUT SERIES

“Sting Attack: 5 Out Offense”

WWW.COACHMAC-BASKETBALL.com

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